Now that the NFL Draft is behind us, it's time to see how each NFL team ranked. While some teams' needs may have been acquiring quarterbacks, tight ends, or offensive linemen, others may have gone the defensive route.
As for Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane, he was very aggressive in trading down for more value and additional draft picks. Each selection was reasonable, adding depth and competition to training camp in late July. It earned the Buffalo Bills the No. 5 post-draft power ranking, according to Bleacher Report's Maurice Moton.
While fans shouldn't be surprised to see the Bills this high up on the list, there is one area that they still have to address before the 2026 season.
One key area of improvement Bills can't ignore
The Bills' ranking in the top five is encouraging heading into the 2026 season. This supports the narrative that the Bills once again have one of the NFL's most talented and well-prepared rosters for 2026.
In free agency, the Bills picked up defensive veterans in Bradley Chubb, CJ. Gardner-Johnson and Geno Stone. This demonstrates their obligation to create a strong defense. The team also addressed their No. 1 receiver position by trading for D.J. Moore, giving their superstar quarterback, Josh Allen, a proven target and building trust in their offensive game plan.
Despite the positive ranking, there's one key area of improvement that needs to be addressed. While Buffalo is in the upper tier at No. 5, two AFC teams are ahead of them: the New England Patriots (3rd) and the Denver Broncos (4th). The key area of issue for the Bills is figuring out how to become the best in the AFC again.
How AFC teams compare
The New England Patriots were a nice story last year, but finishing first in the AFC East with a last-place schedule poses a challenge this year. The team will be facing a taxing schedule and many project the team to only win 8-9 games.
But they still have a young quarterback, Drake Maye, who aims to become the next player, having made it to a Super Bowl in his sophomore year, only never to make it back. The only quarterback to do that was Dan Marino when he was with the Dolphins.
As for the Denver Broncos, their strong season wasn't a fluke. They ended up eliminating the Bills 33-30 in OT in the controversial and exciting AFC Divisional Round. But this year, the rivalry added a bit more spice as the Broncos still have Sean Payton as their head coach, and Bo Nix at quarterback.
The Bills now have Joe Brady as their head coach, who was promoted back in January. Brady and Payton have a history together from New Orleans, when Brady was a young assistant under Payton, who was the head coach. Also, Brady took away from the Broncos both Pete Carmichael and Jim Leonhard as they are Brady's offensive and defensive coordinators.
Carmichael was the offensive coordinator for Payton when he and Brady were both at New Orleans. Brady will still call the offensive plays, but Carmichael will be heavily involved in weekly and gameday game planning. As for Leonhard, he was a defensive assistant under defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who both worked for Payton.
Leonhard has never coached with Brady, but he still indicates that Payton's aggressive defense is what Brady wants for his team. Plus, the Bills still have Allen, who already has a great quarterback-head coach relationship.
The Bills will play the Broncos in Denver this year, and who knows, this could be the start of a new rivalry that would thrill fans and create new competition. It would make the Kansas City Chiefs' rivalry short-lived for the time being.
Can a rookie coach win a Super Bowl?
The Bills will enter this season with a rookie head coach. This will be Brady's first time showing off his talents, and based on the odds, it's a rare but exciting opportunity for him to take home the Super Bowl trophy.
Brady may be carrying a big burden, but his situation sets him up for success to do what Sean McDermott could never do with Buffalo.
With two AFC teams just ahead of his team in the power rankings, Brady will have to keep his head over his shoulders, wondering what his AFC rivals are up to next.